Can seeking happiness make people unhappy? Paradoxical effects of valuing happiness.

Mauss, Iris B.; Tamir, Maya; Anderson, Craig L.; Savino, Nicole S.

doi:10.1037/a0022010

Cited by 326 publications

(375 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Recent research has suggested that valuing happiness too much may be detrimental to well-being (Mauss et al 2011). To avoid this potential problem, our manipulation directly focused on the value of the BPS activity in its own right, rather than on the value of being happy in general.…”

Section: Use Of Peer Testimonials To Manipulate Perceptions Of Activimentioning

confidence: 99%

What Is the Optimal Way to Deliver a Positive Activity Intervention? The Case of Writing About One’s Best Possible Selves

2012

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A 4-week-long experiment examined the effects of a positive activity intervention in which students wrote about their ''best possible selves'' (BPS) once a week. We manipulated two factors that might affect the success of the happiness-increasing activity-whether the positive activity was administered online versus in-person and whether the participant read a persuasive peer testimonial before completing the activity. Our results indicated that the BPS activity significantly boosted positive affect and flow and marginally increased feelings of relatedness. No differences were found between participants who completed the positive activity online versus in-person. However, students who read a testimonial extolling the virtues of the BPS activity showed larger gains in wellbeing than those who read neutral information or completed a control task. The results lend legitimacy to online self-administered happiness-increasing activities and highlight the importance of participants' beliefs in the efficacy of such activities for optimum results.

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Section: Use Of Peer Testimonials To Manipulate Perceptions Of Activimentioning

confidence: 99%

What Is the Optimal Way to Deliver a Positive Activity Intervention? The Case of Writing About One’s Best Possible Selves

2012

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“…Therefore, individuals are highly motivated to find and affirm the positivity within themselves or their life circumstances. Only recently has the negative side of seeking happiness been shown to invite loneliness (Mauss, Savino, Anderson, Weisbuch, Tamir, & Laudenslager, 2012) and unhappiness (Mauss, Tamir, Anderson, & Savino, 2011) within these cultural contexts. …”

Section: Cultural Background Thinking Styles and The Idea Of Happinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personal or interpersonal construal of happiness: A cultural psychological perspective

Uchida

Ogihara

2012

Intnl. J. Wellbeing

156

101

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Cultural psychological research reveals considerable variation in how people construe happiness and experience subjective wellbeing. This paper identified substantial cultural differences in (1) meanings of happiness, (2) predictors of happiness, and (3) how social changes such as globalization are related to happiness. In European-American cultural contexts, happiness is construed as including experience of a highly desirable and positive emotional state defined in terms of a high arousal state such as excitement and a sense of personal achievement. Moreover, individual happiness is best predicted by personal goal attainment and high selfesteem or self-efficacy. In contrast, in East Asian cultural contexts (i.e., those found in Japan), happiness is construed as including experience of both positive and negative emotional state. Happiness is defined in terms of experiencing a low arousal state such as calmness and interpersonal connectedness and harmony. Furthermore, individual happiness is best predicted by relationship harmony and emotional support from others. While people maintain traditional cultural norms, some societies and organizations are under pressure from globalization and this might affect happiness. We examined how cultural change affects wellbeing, especially focusing on current Japanese contexts where individuals have experienced an increasing shift toward individualism and have experienced a large national disaster. Cultural psychological perspectives regarding happiness provide important contributions to psychological science and society at large.

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“…In line with Nozick (1989) one could ask as to whether the experience of suffering is necessary to experience a profound form of happiness. Nozick (1989) further points out that we have to be careful not to take happiness as the most important goal in life for it can prove self-defeating, this carrying the risk of disappointment should such a goal not be achieved (Mauss et al, 2011).…”

Section: Imperative Happinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic Illness as a Source of Happiness: Paradox or perfectly normal?

Hoppe

2013

hcs

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In this paper I analyse the relation between happiness and chronic illness from the perspective of medical anthropology and disability studies. By looking at the disability paradox I deconstruct society's view of people with a disability. I argue that the disability paradox is problematic as it ignores the views of people with a disability. Moreover, such a paradox reinforces the idea that living with a chronic illness or disability is a devastating experience and that happiness and disability are mutally exclusive realities. Based on empiric examples of people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis I demonstrate that people with a chronic illness can experience happiness in spite of illness, but also as a consequence of it.

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Can seeking happiness make people unhappy? Paradoxical effects of valuing happiness.

Cited by 326 publications

References 67 publications

What Is the Optimal Way to Deliver a Positive Activity Intervention? The Case of Writing About One’s Best Possible Selves

What Is the Optimal Way to Deliver a Positive Activity Intervention? The Case of Writing About One’s Best Possible Selves

Personal or interpersonal construal of happiness: A cultural psychological perspective

Chronic Illness as a Source of Happiness: Paradox or perfectly normal?

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